Hayes described Reed as a "top-notch officer" during his time with the Cazenovia police.

Reed was a Cazenovia officer from October 2007 until he joined the Oneida Police Department in September 2008.

Oneida Chief David Meeker remembered Reed as being "very calm."

"He's always level-headed, a good, calm officer," Meeker said.

He received one commendation during his time with the Oneida police, Meeker said, for a larceny investigation. Reed went to Webster in November 2009.

Webster police policy is for officers to also answer fire calls, Pickering said. Reed pulled up to the fire before the first fire truck arrived, Pickering said. Reed saw the first firefighter go down and heard pops, which he thought were tires exploding in the fire, Pickering said.

He then saw muzzle flashes on a nearby berm and saw someone on the berm, Pickering said. Reed ran back to his car, got his service rifle and began returning fire.

Glass in a window near Reed's head broke from bullets hitting it. All the while, Reed fired back, Pickering said.

"By the grace of God, he wasn't shot by Spengler," Pickering said.

Spengler thought he was going to be shooting at unarmed firefighters and, by the amount of ammunition he had, was intent on causing a lot of injuries, Pickering said.

Pickering said the return fire from Reed "changed Spengler's outlook."

Because of Reed's return fire, Spengler stopped firing, crept away and committed suicide with one of his guns.

"He had three options: die in a firefight, surrender or take his own life," Pickering said. "We figure he didn't want a police officer to take his life."

Reed, who will be named police man of the year by the Webster-Fairport Elks Lodge, just wants the attention to end, Pickering said.

"Chief," Pickering quoted Reed as saying, "I just want to bet back to work and do the job I'm supposed to do."